How To Prevent Bubbling

Bubbling is the worst, most annoying problem when applying nail polish. Other nail polish mistakes such as smudges, can be easily fixed, but once those ugly bubbles start to appear, there is no getting rid of them. The only remedy is preventing them from appearing in the first place, but, because their cause isn’t clear, that’s not easy to do. Still, there are a few things that I noticed help keep my nail polish bubble-free. Here they are:

Don’t shake the bottle

Although there may be times when your nail polish bottle needs a good shake, it’s always best not to do it right before application. Instead, roll the bottle between the palms of your hands. This is said to reduce the chance of bubble forming inside the polish.

Keep nails clean

Dirt, oils and even excess moisture can interfere with nail polish application and cause those horrible bubbles to form. So, before applying nail polish, always make sure that your hands and nails are nice and clean. I like to use white vinegar to wipe my nails because it cleans them well without leaving any residue behind.

Use thin coats

Use thin coats and wait for the polish to be completely dry before applying the next layer. If the layers are too thick, those annoying bubbles can appear and ruin your manicure.

Keep away from air drafts

When you apply nail polish, don’t sit in a draft. Even if the weather is hot, close the windows and turn off the fan. This will help prevent air bubbles.

Change your products

If you’ve tried all the tips above but with no avail, then you may be using a nail polish, a top coat, or a base coat that’s prone to bubbling. In that case, you should just switch to different products.

Comments

Great post! I have noticed that also thickened nail polish and top coat can make bubbles to appear. Sometimes this can be fixed with few drops of diluent, otherwise it’s time to throw away the polish.La Bisbetica´s last blog post ..Recensione: Too Faced ombretto Label Whore

I’ve noticed that metallic shades are prone to develop bubbles. They have a strange texture. In comparison, I’ve never had a bubble experience with a cream formula. One of my blog readers recommended to file the surface of the nails slightly. It should smooth the surface and prevent bubbles. But I wouldn’t risk it because my nails are very thin. Bad genes… *sigh*Mylanqolia´s last blog post ..Schneevante’s Short Review on the P2 Color Victim Nail Polish 541 Night Out [Eng/ Ger]

Mylanqolia, thanks for the tips. I’ve actually had come across some cream polishes that were prone to bubbles but they had a very thick texture so I guess that was the culprit. Metallics are tricky indeed which is a shame as they are so pretty!